Douglas Smith’s impeccable third collection of short stories — chock-full of award-winning and award-nominated selections—contains a diversity of compelling speculative fiction tales, from paranormal fantasy to science fiction to horror.

Smith has been called “the finest short-story writer Canada has ever produced in the science fiction and fantasy genres” by Robert J. Sawyer. His collection begins with “The Walker of the Shifting Borderland,” which won Canada’s Aurora Award for best speculative short fiction in 2013. An unforgettable love story veiled in a science fiction/fantasy backdrop, the narrative chronicles an immortal as he tries to save the life of a beloved “ephemeral” who is destined to die—along with the entire universe.

Powered by exceptionally rich world-building, “Oregon Shooters” is a fusion of extraterrestrial science fiction and private eye mystery that revolves around inexplicable deaths at a local restaurant. And “Fiddleheads,” a creepy horror story reminiscent of early Stephen King, follows a deeply disturbed 12-year-old whose little brother disappeared years earlier.

“The Balance,” the only mainstream fiction selection, is a profoundly moving story that explores the shadowy boundaries between life and death as it recounts a father whose newborn son is battling severe health issues in the NIC unit of a hospital.

Of the 15 stories included, most are noteworthy in some way—a testament to Smith’s mastery at crafting short stories. The first lines are all solid hooks; “Oregon Shooters,” for example, begins with “For the second time that week, Nick Cabot stood in his favorite restaurant, staring down at a corpse.” The writing is razor-focused, each story ends with thematic impact, and readers will enjoy the Canadian references. Aspiring short-form writers could well use this flawless collection as a primer.

In sum, this Canadian-grown sampler of short-form fiction is sure to delight from the first story to the last. (Tragically Hip T-shirt and Toronto Maple Leafs cap not included.)